Energy Therapy, Business, and Community
by Afua Tiah McLaren

The community of holistic practitioners has a unique opportunity to bring to the world a new business model, grounded in trust, balance, and abundance, where everybody wins!

Have you noticed the increasing number of energy practitioners setting up shop in Saskatoon and all around Saskatchewan? What is energy therapy? How can it impact business and community?

Many healing arts fall into the broad category of energy therapy, such as reiki, acupuncture, bodytalk, massage, sound healing, crystal healing, yoga, qigong, tai chi, to name a few, and a variety of methods that don’t fall into any one category. These systems treat physical illness, mental unrest and tension, emotional wounds from traumatic experiences, and more.

Generally speaking, these therapies assist in clearing energy blockages in the centres and channels of the body. Vital life force energy then flows freely to feed and nourish the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. As energy moves more freely in the body, clients experience enhanced well being, and often insight into solutions for their life. 

The road to becoming a professional practitioner has numerous steps and stages. Many holistic practitioners stumbled upon their chosen method of energy therapy when they found a system that resonated most with their own needs.

After delving deeper into the dynamics, skills, and art of a given practice, a budding practitioner experiences a driving motivation to share this modality/therapy with as many people as possible. If it worked for me, it could possibly work for you, too! There are so many stressors in our environment, day-to-day life, and surrounding world that create imbalance, so many people seek ways to find balance in themselves. Practitioners seek to utilize the modalities that speak to us most effectively and to offer them into the world to support ourselves and nurture our communities.

Holistic practitioners are working with the intangible, a mostly invisible energy, flowing through a mostly invisible energy field. Although the results are evident, they are often difficult to describe. A practitioner moving into a professional practice often asks, “How can I charge a physical fee for a non-physical experience?” The answer comes by learning to value one’s own worth, by practicing, and by getting past the fear of one’s judgments. Calling on family and trusted friends to be allies of accountability is also helpful. Each practitioner has her/his own way of getting beyond this phase, either step by step or in one quick leap. Of course, the value of a skilled practitioner’s work has a value beyond any hourly rate. Health of the mind, body, heart, and soul is absolutely priceless.

Conventionally, business in our society is a competitive endeavour. The thoughts are: How can I have my business be seen as better than another so I can have more clients or more financial rewards? However, there is another way to operate business. And this is where we, as holistic practitioners, have the opportunity to contribute not only to our individual clientelle, but to our wider society and community.

We can start a new pattern for business—one of co-operation. First of all, we need to change thoughts around scarcity mentality. The pattern of scarcity says that if another receives something, then there is not enough for me. The opposite perspective of abundance sees that everything is connected to the limitless possibilities of Source—there are more than enough clients to go around to support everyone’s practice! As we open to this possibility and trust in abundance, we will attract the clients whom we can benefit.

Another way of cultivating an abundance mentality is remembering that each practitioner has a unique approach, a unique gift and awareness to pass on. For example, a person with a certain type of character and certain type of issue may need what I have to offer because I have worked through similar types of experiences, and another type of person may need what another practitioner has to offer based on their experience.

On a practical level, the more that individuals learn what energy therapies are, how they work, and how they can benefit people, the more the general public has the opportunity to welcome alternative therapies into their lives. This approach changes the business model from a competitive, you-against-me model to an interdependent model where everyone can succeed, and we can share in one another’s success.

In addition, we, as holistic practitioners, have a lot to give each other. The healer also needs to be in constant awareness of bringing balance into her/his own life. Meeting with fellow energy practitioners for practice nights, self-care groups, and even potluck gatherings is a great way to share care and love for ourselves and others in a more informal manner. This in turn strengthens what we have to give to our clients. Building our community sends ripples outwards into other communities and ensures we are nourished enough to thrive.

The community of holistic practitioners has a unique opportunity to bring to the world a new business model, grounded in trust, balance, and abundance, where everybody wins! The mission of our Balance Within Energy & Wellness Center is to embody that model. We support every type of modality with ethics and integrity. Balance Within Energy & Wellness Center, in downtown Saskatoon, offers affordable therapy, workshop and studio space to support practitioners in operating their professional practice. We welcome co-operation with businesses and look forward to connecting with you.

Let’s build a strong, vibrant, and holistic community together!

Afua Tiah McLaren is the co-founder along with Celeste Lemieux, Amber Volk, and Ammy Murray of Balance Within Energy & Wellness Center in Saskatoon. She has been practicing energy therapy for nine years and offers Balance Within sessions, DNA Activation, Life Coaching, workshops, and more. Visit www.balancewithinwellness.com and contact 306 -651-7227. Also, see the display ad on page 31 of the 20.5 January/February issue of the WHOLifE Journal.